Post by kiz on May 10, 2012 7:41:09 GMT 10
Series: Draig
Title: The Dragon's Last Song
Rating: PG-13
Event: Drama Discus
Words: 599
Summary: For a moment Liam stared in the direction George had indicated, clearly wanting to find Alanna. Then he sighed. "The Jewel's the important thing. Let's go." -Lioness Rampant, p.279
+_+_+
The small part of his mind that always stayed calm and focused during battle wondered where Alanna was. Jonathan knew, he could tell: as soon as the blood red Gift had begun to wash over his shoulders like a hood he had shouted her name. Liam wanted him to elaborate, possibly murmur exactly what wing of the palace the lady knight was in, but he also knew that this was impossible. Even if she were only one room over, Alanna was far out of his reach. Punctuating this was the armed man in Tirragen colors who threw himself at Liam with a howl. The Dragon struck out automatically, his fist connecting with the man’s solar plexus with all the subtlety of a battering ram. He landed in a sprawl yards away and stayed down. Sensing another enemy behind him, Liam spun and unfurled his leg in a powerful kick. Another kingslayer went down.
Something was not right. There were too many soldiers, too many Tirragen men. Liam used a split second opening to glance around the Hall of Crowns. What he saw was not good. Fresh men in Eldorne green and Tirragen purple poured in through the city doors, the castle doors, even hidden corridors behind tapestries. How had so many men been smuggled in this quickly? Magic, Liam thought. A shudder ran through him.
He wanted to find Alanna desperately. His destiny lay with her, he was sure of it, and it had reached its crossroad today. He needed to find her...but not while the new king’s life was still at stake. Liam elbowed another enemy in the throat and scooped up the short axe that his attacker dropped. In one fluid motion he hurled the axe at a man in Eldorne green and white. It buried itself in his skull.
Liam was guarding Jonathan’s back, but he could see that was of little help at the moment. Where were Coram and George? Where was Raoul of Goldenlake? They had made up the rest of the king’s guard only minutes earlier, but somehow Liam stood alone now. As he stubbornly held his ground, Liam searched the Hall of Crowns for his comrades.
There, backed into a corner by four Tirragen soldiers, was Coram. He fought like hell to get past them, but Coram more than had his hands full. The fresh enemy forces had overwhelmed everyone. Liam saw that. He saw George’s cousin Rispah tackle Delia of Eldorne. He saw George himself, struggling to return to the altar and Jonathan’s side. And he saw two Tirragen archers, arrows nocked towards the king’s vulnerable skull.
Liam swore and threw himself in front of Jonathan. When the first arrow struck he thought he might drown in the miasma of certainty and fear that flooded him. He had known he would not live past this day. He had only presumed that the end would come at the side of the Lioness. As a second and third arrow struck, Liam knew that this was not to be -- and yet in knowing, he felt his fear begin to ebb. Liam Ironarm would use his death well today.
Four, five, six. Liam began to feel sluggish. The sixth arrow had pierced a lung. Still he fought doggedly, each punch and kick and chop as much a distraction as it was defensive. George was now scrambling onto the dais and to Liam’s aid. A Tortallan ally picked off one of the archers.
Liam was hit with a seventh arrow, and coughed blood. Still he fought.
He never registered the last. It struck his heart.
Title: The Dragon's Last Song
Rating: PG-13
Event: Drama Discus
Words: 599
Summary: For a moment Liam stared in the direction George had indicated, clearly wanting to find Alanna. Then he sighed. "The Jewel's the important thing. Let's go." -Lioness Rampant, p.279
+_+_+
The small part of his mind that always stayed calm and focused during battle wondered where Alanna was. Jonathan knew, he could tell: as soon as the blood red Gift had begun to wash over his shoulders like a hood he had shouted her name. Liam wanted him to elaborate, possibly murmur exactly what wing of the palace the lady knight was in, but he also knew that this was impossible. Even if she were only one room over, Alanna was far out of his reach. Punctuating this was the armed man in Tirragen colors who threw himself at Liam with a howl. The Dragon struck out automatically, his fist connecting with the man’s solar plexus with all the subtlety of a battering ram. He landed in a sprawl yards away and stayed down. Sensing another enemy behind him, Liam spun and unfurled his leg in a powerful kick. Another kingslayer went down.
Something was not right. There were too many soldiers, too many Tirragen men. Liam used a split second opening to glance around the Hall of Crowns. What he saw was not good. Fresh men in Eldorne green and Tirragen purple poured in through the city doors, the castle doors, even hidden corridors behind tapestries. How had so many men been smuggled in this quickly? Magic, Liam thought. A shudder ran through him.
He wanted to find Alanna desperately. His destiny lay with her, he was sure of it, and it had reached its crossroad today. He needed to find her...but not while the new king’s life was still at stake. Liam elbowed another enemy in the throat and scooped up the short axe that his attacker dropped. In one fluid motion he hurled the axe at a man in Eldorne green and white. It buried itself in his skull.
Liam was guarding Jonathan’s back, but he could see that was of little help at the moment. Where were Coram and George? Where was Raoul of Goldenlake? They had made up the rest of the king’s guard only minutes earlier, but somehow Liam stood alone now. As he stubbornly held his ground, Liam searched the Hall of Crowns for his comrades.
There, backed into a corner by four Tirragen soldiers, was Coram. He fought like hell to get past them, but Coram more than had his hands full. The fresh enemy forces had overwhelmed everyone. Liam saw that. He saw George’s cousin Rispah tackle Delia of Eldorne. He saw George himself, struggling to return to the altar and Jonathan’s side. And he saw two Tirragen archers, arrows nocked towards the king’s vulnerable skull.
Liam swore and threw himself in front of Jonathan. When the first arrow struck he thought he might drown in the miasma of certainty and fear that flooded him. He had known he would not live past this day. He had only presumed that the end would come at the side of the Lioness. As a second and third arrow struck, Liam knew that this was not to be -- and yet in knowing, he felt his fear begin to ebb. Liam Ironarm would use his death well today.
Four, five, six. Liam began to feel sluggish. The sixth arrow had pierced a lung. Still he fought doggedly, each punch and kick and chop as much a distraction as it was defensive. George was now scrambling onto the dais and to Liam’s aid. A Tortallan ally picked off one of the archers.
Liam was hit with a seventh arrow, and coughed blood. Still he fought.
He never registered the last. It struck his heart.
Beautifully written, you combine action and introspection so very well, and this fic really fleshes out Liam as a character and makes me like him so much more than in canon.
Maybe once we'd have seen it during Smackdown!